Well, dear readers, I am ready for bed and yet I cannot go to bed for I must write these here notes. I remember a time some time ago when I used to write the notes in the morning, when I arose. I wonder exactly when I began writing and posting the notes at midnight or thereabouts? Does anyone know? In any case, I am ready for bed and need to go to bed for she of the Evil Eye will be here bright and early and also early and bright, so I shall write these here notes as quickly as possible and then hie myself to the bedroom environment. My goodness, that was a rather breathless opening, wasn’t it? I’m breathless just thinking about it. Speaking of breathless, yesterday was another nice day, with sunshine to spare. I got up a little earlier than I’d planned, found out my ten o’clock brief meeting had been moved to eleven-thirty, and so did the long jog prior to the moved meeting. I then had the brief meeting, which was brief. Then I did a few things on the computer, then I did a couple of errands, then I went to go to a local bookstore that I like only to find the building empty and a For Lease sign up. I was there about a month ago and the nice owner said nothing. Wouldn’t you think he’d have known he was folding up shop? Oh, well, another bookshop bites the dust. What a shame. I then went to Gelson’s and got a potpourri of foodstuffs to nosh on during the day and evening. I picked up a surprise early birthday package from amazon, which contained a very nice book on the history of film music. I then came home, wrote the entire company of our benefit thank you e-mails, made some telephonic calls, and set the first two of several meetings for next week. I now have plans for every day but Friday. I’ll be meeting with the songwriter Marsha Malamet about working with her on a show (she’s written many good songs, including the Peter Allen song Love Don’t Need A Reason), and I’m meeting with Sean McDermott about doing a new one-person show for him. I’m having lunch with Barry Pearl on Tuesday, and on my birthday I’m having lunch with Mr. Nick Redman and a couple of other people, and then I’m supposedly being taken out for dinner, which means I won’t be eating much at lunch – perhaps a salad, or some poached eggs. There will be a couple more meetings to set, and I also have to begin writing notes for the next Kritzerland release, plus have the booklet designer get to work on the cover. I have to have this to the printers no later than December 15 or it won’t get printed until after January 5. I want to make sure the booklets are printed, although the actual CD pressing can happen right after the New Year. So, it should be a nice, full week o’ stuff. After I’d finished the few things I had to do, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching Escape To Athena on DVD. It’s really quite a bad film, and yet, oddly fun to watch. The cast is so weird – Roger Moore as a “good” Nazi, Telly Savalas doing his usual thing, Claudia Cardinale as a hooker girlfriend of Savalas, David Niven looking very tired and old, Richard Roundtree, Elliot Gould as a Jewish comic who also is handy with a gun, Stephanie Powers as I don’t know what, and most amusing of all, Sonny Bono. It’s all very well shot on location in Greece, but it just lurches like a drunken sailor from bit to bit, none of which make much sense. The transfer on this region 2 DVD is very good, and there are some cast interviews done at the time of the filming – the Elliot Gould interview features him interviewing the kids that came with their parents – Roger Moore’s son, Jason Gould, and Chastity Bono. After that, I watched an episode of a television program entitled Riverboat. I don’t believe I’d ever seen the show before. I found this particular episode very entertaining – it was aired in 1959, and starred Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds (both wearing their patented toupees). The guest stars of this episode were Aldo Ray, Barbara Bel Geddes, John Larch, Barry Kelly, and several other good character people. This episode was written and directed by the very talented Douglas Heyes (he did several excellent Twilight Zones), and the show was scored by Elmer Bernstein, and a terrific score it is, with major hints of The Magnificent Seven, which would come just a few months later. The quality of the transfer is okay, acceptable image-wise, but there are occasional digital glitches that are really annoying and completely unnecessary – does no one at these companies watch the DVD after it’s pressed? In any case, I love McGavin, and he’s great in this show, and I’m looking forward to more episodes.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button because frankly I’m writing these here notes so fast that I’m breathless.
As I mentioned, she of the Evil Eye will be here, so I’ll have to do the long jog, then go for a drive, after which I’ll come home, do a couple of small errands, and then just sit around the home environment doing things like entering Nudie Musical additions and writing liner notes. I’ll find something amusing to eat or maybe I’ll find someone to go eat with, and I’m sure I’ll listen to more CDs and watch more DVDs.
Tomorrow, I have nothing planned, although I may do another couple of errands and whatnot, as well as finish the liner notes and Nudie additions.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, do errands and whatnot, eat something amusing, do some work on the computer, then listen to CDs and watch DVDs. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite guilty pleasure films like Escape To Athena – you know, bad films from the 70s and 80s from companies like ITV and people like Lew Grade or Irwin Allen – which give you pleasure even though you know they stink? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and now I shall go to the bedroom environment for I am breathless and need my beauty sleep.